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I G. M. BICKNELL AND H. H. C WEED.-

FLOATING BEARING.

' APPLICATION il-LED JULY 15. 1918.

Patented Dec. 9,1919.

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UNITED STATES r 'rE r o mo GEORGE M..IBICKNELI1, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND HUGH E. O. WEED, OF LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS T0 THE GARTERGARBURETER SOURI, CORPOBATIONOF MI$SOUBL FLOATING BEARING.

Specification cf Letters Patent.

COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MIS- Application filed July 15, 1918. Serial No. 245,016.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE M. BICKNELL and HUGH H.' C. WEED, citizens of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of l/Vayne, Michigan, and at St Louis, Missouri, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floating Bearings, of which the following is a specificatiton.

This invention relates to attachments for bearings adapted for application to rotating shafts, and more particularly. to shafts which are subjected to high speed rotation. The primary object of the invention is the prevention of the whipping of shafts.

The generally accepted idea of the socalled whipping is the tendency. ofv high speed shaftingto travel, in response to celltrifugal force, in a circle largerthan the diameter of the shaft. Thiscircular travel is in addition to the rotation of the shaft under applied power. The shafts are ordinarily held in fixed bearings, generally at least 'two in number, and the portions of the shaft which are subjected tothewhipping action are locatedbetween the fixed bearings. The circle of travel of the whipping portions would manifestly be around acenter which is the center of the shaft when it is at rest. It will be very readily understood that the whipping action is exceedingly destructive to the fixed bearings and to the shaft itself. i

As before stated, a whipping shaft travels in a circle larger than its own diameter. Our conception is that any discouragement of the tendency of the shaftto travel in a true circle, by destroying or retarding its continuity of movement, or impulse in a fixed circular direction, will tend to cause the shaft to more nearly assume its normal straight alinement.

The invention is especially adapted for automobile shafting but it is to be clearly understood that it may be advantageously used on any high speed shafts. In automobile drive shafts a very large percentage of the destructive wear on universal joints is occasioned by shaft whipping. This wear has caused the adoption of heavier drive shafts, of abnormal diameter, which manifestly do not whip to so great an extent, because less resilient, but has occasloned a very material increase in cost of production.

These heavier shafts are also objectionable in that they'add to the burden of the universal joint. With the use of our invention, a long drive shaft of normal diameter will show a smaller. degree of whip-ping tendenc and consequently cause less wear upon the bearings, than will a shaft of the same length and of abnormally large diameter.

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We have observed that the whippingac-' tlon is better retarded by opposing unequal resistance to the tendencyofthe shaft to swing in a circle." A fixed resistance of the tendency to travel to the-left, for instance,

should be met by either a greater or less i resistance to travel to the ri 'ht. Moreover, it is obvious that, in order I01, the shaftto travelin a circular path, thewhipping portion must move upwardly and downwardly, at some point inthe' circle. f may be applied as desired, but it isto be noted that,-if'equal resistance is'moderately applied to movement on all directions, the whipping action nated.

4 Our invention therefore, by providing unequal resistance to shaftmovementin diflerwhipping movement impossible, offering movement within the bearings. i

In the accompanying drawings forming a j part of this specification, we have illustrated .a preferred embodiment of our invention,

and haveochosen toillustrate the invention applied to the driveshaft. of an automobile.

-. This resistance i not be entirelyelimi- .ent directions, renders a true. circular or .at the same time no resistanceto the rotative split bearing 1, adapted to surround the shaft 2. Pivotally supported upon any convenient part of the automobile, such as a cross-member, is a yoke 3 having side arms 4 and 5 which embrace the bearing.

The bearing is provided upon each side with studs 6, which enter apertures in slides 7. The slides are provided with slots which receive the inner edges of the side arms 4 and 5 of the yoke 3. It is clear therefore that any vertical movement of the bearing will cause the slides 7 to rise or descend along the side arms at and 5 as a track. It is also apparent that the bearing is free to rock with respect to the yoke, by reason of the pivotal connectiontherewith, through the studs 6.

To one of the arms of the yoke, either above or below the bearing, and extending into the path of vertical travel thereof, is a. spring member 9.. This spring member is here shown as composed of a metal strip fastened to one of the side arms. It is obvious that the same result might be accomplished by mounting the spring above the bearing, or upon the bottom of the yoke, or the spring may be mounted so to exert its resiliency against movement of the slides 7. The material point is that the spring must be so located as to offer a resistance to vertical movement of the bearing, and it is immaterial what form of spring is used, or where it islocated, so long as it accomplishes the. above purpose.

In order to facilitate assembly of the device, the side arms t and 5 are made as sep arate units and hinged at 10. In assembly the slides 7 are placed upon the studs 6, and the arms a and 5 then brought into parallelism to engage the grooves in. the slides. The ends of the arms may then be connected by a bolt 11,. or otherwise.

From the foregoing the operation of the device will be clear. Any movement of the shaftv 2' out of its horizcntallalinement will impart-a similar movement to the bearing 1'. Lateral movement of the bearing-is not resisted, the yoke 3 swinging freely upon its pivot. Vertical movement of the bearing upwardly causes the slides 7 to ride along the arms 4 and 5. A downward vertical movement of the bearing however will cause it to engage the projecting spring 9,v which imparts its resiliency against such move ment. Hence there is an unequal resistance to. vertical movement in opposite directions and no substantial resistance to lateral and rocking movement of the bearing.

It is obvious that in actual practice of the invention lubricating devices, such as oil cups, should be applied to all points where there is frictional contact. Since these devices form no part of our invention, they are not shown in all instances where they would be necessary. 7

Various modifications of the invention may be suggested to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, but we desire to secure by Letters Patent all such embodiments thereof as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

It is to be understood that, while We have shown a member mounted to assume a vertical position adjacent the shaft, the member might just as well be mounted to extend laterally above or below the shaft. In this event, the lateral movement of the member, the bearing, or the shaft, as herein described, both in the specification and'claims, might properly be termed a vertical movement, and vice-versa. The appended claims cover this mechanical equivalent.

What we claim is 1. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a rotatable shaft, a floatable bearing engaging the shaft, a pivoted member embracing said bearing, and means for resisting vertical movement of the bearing.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a rotatable shaft, a fioatable bearing engaging the shaft, a pivoted member embracing said bearing, and means for unequally resisting vertical movement of the bearing in opposite directions.

3. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a rotatable shaft, a floata-ble bearing engaging the shaft, and a yoke member embracing the bearing and adapted to govern the bodily movements thereof, said yoke member being provided with separable side arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

GEORGE M. BICKNELL. HUGH, H. C. WEED. 

